Heretofore great difficulties have been experienced in attempting to propel boats with outboard motors in areas where hyacinths or other water plants exist. The great majority of the light weight or small boats used for fishing and for pleasure are equipped with outboard motors because such equipment is lighter and cheaper than are boats with inboard motors. In instances where hyacinths or other water plants exist the hyacinths are caught by the downwardly extending housing of the outboard motor and build up around it and very quickly build up to such an extent that it is necessary to lift the outboard motor out of the water to remove the hyacinths or other water plants. This process of lifting the outboard motor out of the water to clean it of the water plants is repeated frequently.